Summary of this OS: James has something to ask Marlene.
Rating of this OS: T
Warnings: Slice of life fic, suggestive things
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, and everything belongs to J.K. Rowling. I don't make any money out of this story.
.:.
Written for:
[HSWW] Assignment #8: Advanced Warding: Ancient Protection / Task #4 - Write a story set at night
[THC]
Round 6 - Year 4
House: Hufflepuff
Year: 3
Category: Standard
Prompt: 3. [speech] "Life is too unpredictable to plan."
Other prompts listed at the end
Word count (without the A/N): 1,609 words
Stars: James Potter and Marlene McKinnon
Marlene is watching the stars. She's always loved watching them twinkling far away in the sky. They've been here, constantly shining even before she was, and they will still be here even after she's gone.
Someone knocks at her door and she rises from her seat by the window. James has always been on time for their… dates, or whatever else they want to call it.
And indeed, here he stands behind her door. She greets him with a smile and a quick peck on the lips, and he grins sheepishly at her as he holds a bouquet of flowers for her to take.
She shakes her head because she's already told him that he shouldn't buy anything for her and he does anyway, all the time.
She sits at the table she's prepared and watches him as he removes his jacket and sits in front of her. His glasses are askew on the bridge of his nose and she wonders what has gone wrong, but he sits down and smiles gently at her. There's never been any mention of tenderness between them; it has always been about relieving themselves of the tension and the worries of the war, but… It's turned into something more. He's all she can think about these days.
"So…" he starts a little awkwardly.
She wonders why. James Potter has never been one to behave shyly.
"A little wine maybe?" he offers with his lopsided grin plastered on his lips.
She nods but doesn't speak up. She wants so desperately to hide the fact that she's worried (and so mortified) at his awkwardness. It's never been so awkward between them.
He stands up, takes the bottle and pours her a glass of wine, and she can't help but notice the bead of sweat rolling down his temple and disappearing into his jet black hair.
"Bloody hell!" James suddenly exclaims when he sees her staring at his face.
"What the hell is happening, James?" she retorts and rises as well to be on the same eye level as him (or maybe just a little shorter, but she doesn't care; she can be very impressive when she wants to be, and James knows it).
He puts down the bottle of wine and runs a hand through his messy jet black hair.
"I—It's complicated," he starts.
"What is complicated?" she insists. "It's eating you up, I can see it!"
"It's nothing important…"
He's trying to avoid the question and she can see it. She doesn't allow herself to question her gesture before she puts her hands on his cheeks and forces him to maintain eye contact with her.
His hazel eyes are full of so many different emotions, but the one that is more visible is worry, and she wants to shout at him to just tell her the truth, but he steps back.
"Let's go outside, okay?" he asks her, and it almost sounds like he's begging her so she nods (she's never been able to resist his puppy eyes).
They step out on the balcony and he leans on the rail.
"James…" she sighs.
"I wanted to ask you something," he says before she can continue.
Her worry partly disappears. He's probably not going to ask her if they can just stop everything they're doing. He wouldn't start like that… or would he?
"Every person you look at, you can see the universe in their eyes, if you're really looking," he suddenly goes on.
Her eyes widen and she gazes up at him. His hazel eyes are searching in her blue ones earnestly and suddenly, there it is. His beautiful, charming lopsided grin, the one she fell in love with.
"I can see the whole universe in your eyes, Marls," he whispers. "I know I shouldn't be saying this because it was only supposed to be… fun, and nothing else, but…"
Her breath stops. It's so unexpected and she finds herself hoping that maybe something good will come out of tonight… but another part of herself can only think What the hell is he doing?
"I think I fell in love with you," he blurts out. "With you and your beautiful blonde hair and your stunning blue eyes and your independence and the fire in you and… everything that makes you who you are."
His fingers brush her cheek with uncertainty, push a loose strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, and his gaze lingers on her red-painted lips. But then he looks up at her and sees her glaring at him, and his smile disappears.
"You can't say that," she scolds him.
He frowns and opens his mouth, but she speaks before he can.
"You can't say that," she repeats. "It was supposed to be for fun and nothing else!"
"But it's changed! I can see the look in your eyes and you can't deny it!"
She doesn't, but she doesn't agree with him either. He stares at her a little more before a smirk paints itself on his lips.
"You do think it's changed. I was right!"
"But it was—"
She tries to continue, but the words refuse to come out of her mouth. The truth is, she's scared. So scared. Afraid that if she commits to someone more than she should, it will all be ripped away from her. But she can't tell him that.
Instead, she whispers "I'm sorry" and turns to walk back into her apartment. And she hates herself so much when she stops because he's asked her to.
"I still have to ask you something, Marls," he reminds her, and his voice is incredibly strained.
She sighs and turns to look at him, and she finds him leaning on the rail, trying to act casual with his hands in the pockets of his shirt.
"What is it you wanted to ask me, James?"
"Do you remember why we've started this at all?" he asks her.
"Yes. Lily had rejected you for the umpteenth time, Sirius had just broken my heart, we were at war, and we both needed to forget."
He nods and continues, "And what did you tell me then?"
She remembers the words, she probably always will, so she says them again matter-of-factly, "Life is too unpredictable to plan."
She wants to continue, but he cuts her off seriously. "We could all be dead tomorrow. That's what you said. Now that's why I want to ask you…"
She rolls her eyes. He still hasn't asked her that damn question! She feels like he's just trying to buy some time, and she can't help but be incredibly annoyed.
Suddenly, he takes a deep breath as a crease appears between his brows, and he kneels before her on the ground. He takes a small box out of his pocket, and her eyebrows rise.
It can't be what she thinks it is though, because he wouldn't be doing that after all she's said to him.
"Marlene McKinnon…" he starts, and her eyes widen (he is doing it!). "Will you marry me?"
His hazel eyes are pleading her to accept as he opens the box to show her the diamond ring in it; the stars are shining high in the sky and reflect on the diamond. She half wants to say no right away, but another part of her, a far bigger one, wants to say yes. So she whispers the word and James's eyes widen.
"What?" he asks her incredulously.
She kneels down in front of him and kisses him lightly, whispering the word once more against his lips. He apparently understands then that he isn't dreaming and pulls away, looking at her with awe-filled eyes.
He slips the diamond ring on her finger and she laughs a little, kissing him again.
Maybe she's still afraid somewhere deep within her, afraid that that will all be gone tomorrow, but right now, as he pulls her up and she leans into his chest and they gaze up at the stars together, she's sure of one thing: she has never been happier.
His arms close around her and hold her tight against him, and he whispers in her ear, "To be completely honest with you, I wasn't sure you would say yes…"
She smirks, even if she knows he can't see her, and replies, "To be completely honest with you, I wasn't sure I would say yes, either. But…"
She trails off then and stares up at the stars once more (the stars which are partly covered by black clouds now). Maybe it was their twinkling reflecting on the diamond that has made her change her mind, but either way…
"Life is too unpredictable to plan," she whispers, and she feels his smile against her neck.
Just then, a drop of rain falls on their entwined hands, and she sighs.
"Rain, please go away," she begs.
The rain just falls harder on them, and she exclaims, letting go of his hands to throw them up towards the sky, "I just had to ask."
James laughs and pulls her inside, but they're already soaked when they come back into her apartment. She's laughing though, because he is too, and when she sees that mischievous twinkle in his eyes behind his glasses, she removes them and kisses him deeply.
She doesn't know, and will never know until it is too late, that she's been right to be afraid of commitment most of her life. She doesn't know that one week later, she will be dead, and James will be left alone to grieve for her. She doesn't know, and so she pulls him towards her and never stops kissing him.
Also written for:
[HSWW] April Auction: Day 10 / Auction 3 - (blind James pairing) James / Marlene
[HSWW] Seasonal Challenges - Spring:
Days of the Year: 28th April (International Astronomy Day): Write about stargazing with a loved one
Seasonal Challenge - Spring: 24. (dialogue) "Rain, please go away."
Seasonal Challenge - Birthstones: 6. Turquoise - (dialogue) "I just had to ask."
Seasonal Challenge - Flowers: 10. Allium - (object) bottle
Hufflepuff Challenge - Hufflepuff Prompts: Other Prompts #2. (colour) jet black
[HSWW] Yearly Events
Insane Prompt Challenge: 863. (genre) romance
365 Prompts: 226. Diamond
[HSWW] Writing Club - April: Amber's Attic: 14. "Every person you look at, you can see the universe in their eyes, if you're really looking."
[HSWW] Hogwarts Easter Funfair: Build a Basket: Stage One: pick a basket - 4. Tie Dye: (word) unexpected
[HSWW] Fortnightly Challenges: Space Stuff - News #1. Black Holes: Write a fic set at night